Freefall
by CommanderCatbug
Summary: Daughter of disgraced business man Hiram Lodge and his socialite wife Hermione, Gwendolyn Lodge used to be the princess of New York. But then her dad got arrested, and her mother dragged Gwendolyn and her sister back to her hometown. Riverdale is a small town, but Gwendolyn is determined to make the most of her family's fall from grace. She's a Lodge, and Lodges never settle.
1. Chapter 1

_Our story is about a town, a small town, and the people who live in the town..._

 _...We were still talking about the "July Fourth tragedy" on the last day of summer vacation, when a new mystery rolled into town..._

* * *

"Now brace yourselves," Mother says as she comes around the rear of the car, "The apartment's small, a pied-à-terre, but..."

We three Lodge women chorus together, "Quality, always."

"Plus, it's the only piece of property in my name and not your father's," she adds as she steps towards the...I suppose you could call it an apartment building?It certainly isn't as big as the building where we'd lived in New York, but it's still sizable compared to the rest of this ramshackle town. As we had driven through the streets of this podunk, this 'Riverdale', I have to admit that I found myself frowning and scrunching my nose, even though I know such behavior can bring about early onset wrinkles.

The foyer of the building is nice enough, white and chrome in an attempt to look chic. A doorman hurries towards us, almost smiling from ear-to-ear as he calls out, "Miss Hermione! Welcome home!"

Mother clearly knows him, so she hugs him and kisses him on the cheek. Veronica looks less than impressed with Mother's friendship with this man, apparently called 'Smithers', and I'm sure my face is wearing a similar expression.

I don't pay much attention to Mother's niceties, too busy taking in the foyer's design, until I hear her say, "Smithers, I'd like to introduce you to my daughters - Gwendolyn and Veronica."

"It's a pleasure," the cheerful man says, sticking his hand out. Veronica shakes first, but she's always been eager to please. I put on my best cordial face as I shake his hand, but the look Mother gives me tells me that my best isn't good enough in this situation. But when is it ever good enough for her?

Smithers looks between Mother and I, a slightly worried expression on his face. "I'll get the bags."

"Would you?" Mother replies, all smiles as he walks past her. She shoots me a glare. I raise an eyebrow in response.

"Oh, and would you like some menus, ma'am, so you can order in?" Smithers asks from behind us.

I turn around to inform him that yes, we would very much like some menus, but Mother stops me in my tracks. "Oh, no. I have been craving one of Pop Tate's cheeseburgers since noon," she tells him wistfully, "Is his Chock'lit Shoppe still open?"

Veronica and I share confused looks. "What is a Chock'lit Shoppe, and why does it sell burgers?" she inquires, thankfully taking Mother's attention off of my 'rude' behavior. Mother smiles at the two of us, one of the toothy grins she always gives babies that we pass in Central Park.

"Don't worry, girls. You'll love it."

* * *

As part of our 'initiation' into the town of Riverdale, Mother insists that Veronica and I go to Pop's to pick up our burgers while she calls in the order and sorts out our boxes. Honestly, she probably just wants to have some alone time, something she hasn't had since Daddy's mishap blew up in our face. As much I loathe the idea of facing the masses, I can't deny Mother a chance to collect herself.

So off Veronica and I go, GPS coordinates programmed into the driver's navigation system because Mother can't remember exactly how to get to the restaurant. Veronica and I don't say much to each other as we drive along: she is too busy looking at the streets around us, while I sift through websites to see what is being said about my family today.

The Chock'lit Shoppe is a vile place, styled after a 50s diner with a brilliant neon sign and tarnished metal siding. I almost gag at the thought of stepping into such an establishment, but I can't let my sister go alone. We don our hoods and make the driver promise to wait for us as we step out of the car. Veronica goes in first, and I trail after her, refusing to open any doors. Who knows what kind of germs these people have?

We survey the room as we entered, and Veronica quickly plasters on her man-eating smile. I look to see what's caught her attention, and I notice a red-haired boy staring at her in awe. I'm not surprised. My sister is beautiful, like moi, but he hardly looks like he's worth her time. Besides, there is a blonde girl with a tight ponytail sitting across from him at a booth. He's probably already taken. Of course, that would never stop Veronica.

She struts down the aisle between tables like it's a runway, and I decide to follow her lead. I may be older, but she's much better at interacting with the common folk. This is her area of expertise, not mine.

"I called in an order for Lodge?" Veronica asks of a man in an all-white outfit. He's really going for this 50s theme, and as much as I hate the outfit, I am impressed. Not enough people have that much dedication in this world.

"Three burgers, yeah, almost ready, but you gotta wait," the man says in a deep voice as he walks past us. He has kind eyes, and I feel a little more at ease here. I haven't seen much kindness lately, so I am pleasantly surprised.

As the man walks away from us, Veronica zones in on her prey. "Hi," she says to the couple at the table.

"Hey," the redhead responds, looking for all the world like he's in a trance. Behind Veronica's back, I roll my eyes.

"How are the onion rings here?" my sister asks him, stepping towards the table and smiling coyly. The blonde girl and I exchange quick looks, but then she almost immediately returns her attention to the action.

"So good." The redhead is almost drooling as he looks Veronica up and down. I snort, something I try to do as little as possible.

"Can we get some onion rings, too, please?" Veronica calls over her shoulder, barely tearing her eyes away. The man from earlier gives her an affirmative acknowledgement.

"Thanks," she says to the mystery ginger, "My mom, my sister and I just moved here, so..."

"From where?" he asks, quick as lightning. I bite my tongue so I won't say anything negative. Veronica seems interested, after all. Who am I to stand in the way of a fling?

"New York," she says, and he makes an impressed sound. I look at the blonde girl, who seems rightly irritated.

"Do you guys go to Riverdale?" Veronica is off her game, it seems. These two are obviously about her age, which she would usually know.

The couple speaks at the same time. "We do. Both of us. Together," says the blonde girl.

Meanwhile, the redhead is still looking at Veronica with hearts in his eyes as he says, "We're sophomores."

"Me too," my sister says, a bit of awkwardness in her voice. I would tell them that I was a senior, but no one is really acknowledging my presence, which is absolutely insulting. "I'm filled with dread."

"Why is that?" the redhead asks, as if finding out the answer will solve every problem in his life. He needs to calm down. He's acting like an excitable puppy, and it's not a good look on anyone.

"Are you familiar with the works of Truman Capote?" Veronica asks, probably with an eyebrow raised.

The redhead boy nods dumbly. I highly doubt he can even spell 'Capote'.

"I'm Breakfast at Tiffany's, but this place is strictly In Cold Blood." She and the redhead laugh, and I am actually pleased. It's been quite a while since Veronica has been this happy. Meanwhile, the blonde girl shoots the boy a look of angry confusion. She is jealous, clearly. I knew they were a couple.

"Veronica Lodge," my sister declares, sticking her hand out to the redhead. He's quick to meet her hand with his, his smile a mile wide.

"Archie. Andrews." The blonde is still giving him that look. He turns to her sheepishly and introduces her. "Uh, this is Betty Cooper."

"This is my sister, Gwendolyn." Finally, someone recognizes that I'm here. I step forward to give myself a formal introduction, but Veronica cuts me off as she peers at Betty.

"Wait, are you..." she trails off, as if this girl is familiar but she just can't place exactly why. I feel the same way. She looks like a girl I vaguely remember seeing in New York, but I can't remember when or where. Not a lot of bright-eyed ingenue types back home.

"Supposed to give you your tour tomorrow? Yes. I'm your peer mentor." Betty says the words with a smile on her face, but there is a sense of loathing sitting right under the surface. I doubt it's an emotion she feels often. She looks like one of those small town girls with a perfect life.

Archie hops back into the conversation with a quick, "Do you want to join us? Hey, maybe we can un-fill you with dread." I want to point out that 'un-fill' isn't a word, but I don't really feel like wasting my time trying to educate him.

"My mom's waiting for us," Veronica says, and Archie gives a small nod. I roll my eyes again. "But...to be continued."

Veronica walks away, and I follow after her like a sheep. I'm supposed to be leading here, but Veronica is in some sort of zone, and I don't want to deal with her in this state. She's probably plotting something, and I'm too drained from this town's awful scenery to stop her or plan with her.

We make our way to the counter, and Veronica grabs our food while I fish some cash out of my purse. Then we're back to the car and on our way home. Food and sleep are a must before tomorrow. After all, even if this town is practically Stars Hollow, I still want to be at my best for school tomorrow. If I'm actually going to be stuck here for the foreseeable future, I might as well stake my claim as the most popular girl in school. It's only right.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, I wake up at 5 AM, just like I always do. Being a queen bee like me takes a lot of effort, not that movies will ever tell you that. Of course, I plan my outfits a week in advance, as well as my hair and makeup for every day, but actually implementing my look takes a lot of time. School starts at 8 AM here, which gives me two and a half hours to get ready, fifteen minutes to eat breakfast, and fifteen minutes to get to school. In New York, the travel time would be at least an hour. That's one point in Riverdale's favor, I suppose.

I decide to start the school year off in pastel pinks, because it's an approachable color and it will take my classmates off-guard. And then, when their defenses are all down...well, that's when I'll go in for the kill. I'll be at the top of the Riverdale food chain in no time.

I'm just lint-rolling my favorite Ted Baker dress one last time when I hear Veronica calling for me. I grab my Mahon Fichero tote bag and trot into the dining room. Of course Veronica is wearing pearls. Sometimes it feels as if she takes every word Mother says as gospel. Veronica has been wearing the same pearl necklace ever since Mother once said to us, "A girl is never dressed without her pearls." I personally think it makes her look like an old lady.

"Are you ready to go, Gwennie?" Veronica asks, a small brittle smile on her face. She's been trying to keep up a cool exterior, but I know her better than that. She's worried about this new school. I understand where she's coming from. It's entirely possible that, even here in this one-horse town, these people have heard about Father's scandal. I'm used to people staring at me, but the attention generally stems from envy, not pity.

I do a quick twirl, posing at the end with a hand on my hip and the other behind my head in the 'classic' model pose. "Aren't I always, Ronnie?" The edges of her mouth curl up. I only act like this to make my baby sister happy. Pushing my dignity aside for a few moments is a small price to pay.

* * *

Betty Cooper from the diner is waiting for us in the front office, a much more convincing smile on her face than the one Veronica was wearing earlier. But I can still see behind her facade. She's still on edge from last night's interaction. I'm not surprised. She's pretty in a small town sort of way, but Veronica is big-city beautiful. Definitely a threat.

The three of us don't say a lot as the secretary loads up Veronica and I with pounds of paperwork. It's not until we leave that Betty actually decides to open her mouth. "So, I usually start off my tours with a little history and context."

I try to pay attention, but this school is so stereotypically Americana. I feel a mixture of wonder and disgust as I take in the scenery, both architectural and human.

"Riverdale High first opened its doors in 1941..." Betty continues to drone on, and I debate on whether or not to listen.

"And hasn't been redecorated since, apparently." Veronica's comment is a tad biting, and I am proud. "Honestly, I feel like I'm wandering through the lost epilogue of _Our Town_." There she goes with the literary references again. I only hope Betty can keep up. I barely can, and Veronica and I have had the same (extremely expensive) education. Betty laughs lightly, and Veronica shoots her a small smile.

"So what's the social scene like here? Any night clubs?" My sister has always loved partying. Of course, I do, too. But she's a little more flamboyant about it. So it makes sense that this is one of the first questions she has.

A boy with perfectly gelled hair comes swooping up behind us. "A strip club called The Ho Zone, and a tragic gay bar called Innuendo." It's a good thing he came along when he did. Night clubs didn't exactly seem like they'd fall under Betty's area of expertise.

"Friday nights - football games, and then tailgate parties at the Mallmart parking lot. Saturday night is movie night, regardless of what's playing at the Bijou, and you better get there early because we don't have reserved seating in Riverdale, and Sunday nights? Thank God for HBO."

"Gwendolyn and Veronica Lodge, Kevin Keller," Betty begins the introductions, "They're new here. Kevin is..."

Veronica butts in, and I sigh internally. "Gay, thank god. Let's be best friends." I cringe. My sister has never sounded like a small-town airhead before, but I suppose there's a first time for everything.

"Is it true what they say about your dad?" Kevin asks, and Betty shoots him a scathing look. I do, too, but once again no one is paying me a lick of attention. I consider continuing the tour on my own, but I'm also kind of interested to see how this plays out. Veronica is very protective of Father, and I want to see what she comes up with to defend him.

"That he's the devil incarnate?" Her body has shifted into her favorite 'sass' stance, and I'm waiting for her to explode. This should be fun. "I stand by my father."

I don't add anything to her statement. I don't agree with it, but we Lodges must present a united front in these troubled times. Image is everything, no matter where you live.

"Does everyone here know?" she asks, crossing her arms. Betty and Kevin don't say anything, but based on their awkward body language, the answer is clear as glass. "Wonderful. Ten minutes in and I'm already the _Blue Jasmine_ of Riverdale High." She storms off - well, as much as she will allow herself to in a public setting like this - and Betty follows her after shooting death rays at Kevin.

I stay behind, not eager to get involved in my sister's drama. Kevin turns his attention to me, doing a double take as he finally takes me in. "Holy shit. You're the Gwendolyn Lodge." I smirk, flipping some of my hair behind my shoulder. "I saw you in _People_ hanging out with Kendall and Kylie! You were at Taylor Swift's Fourth of July party! You presented at the Tonys!"

I offer my hand to him, the first person I've done so for in Riverdale. He takes it quickly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kevin Keller. I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship."

We follow after Veronica and Betty. Kevin moves quickly, clearly eager to please. My pace is languid. I'm not particularly bothered with the tour. I've found that the most interesting parts of the school are the things nobody wants to talk about. I'm sure that these are the kinds of things Betty Cooper doesn't know.

"Oh, and of course, there's the back-to-school semiformal dance this weekend," Betty says as we leave one hallway and enter into another. I watch silently as my sister grabs the other girl's arm and drags her back, practically stopping her midsentence.

"Oh! There's the hottie we were with last night. The red-headed Ansel Elgort." Archie Andrews, the ginger idiot from Pop's, is standing in the hallway with a letterman's jacket on. I can kind of see the appeal, I suppose, but I also think Veronica is overreacting. "Is he your boyfriend?"

"No," Betty and Kevin chorus.

"He's straight," Kevin says, dejected.

"We're just friends," Betty firmly states, speaking over Kevin. I scoff, but of course no one pays me any attention. I'm starting to feel invisible, and I'm not a fan.

"In that case, mind putting in a word? I've tried every flavor of boy but orange." Sadly, this is true. Veronica gets around even more than I do, which is saying something, considering I play both sides of the field.

"Actually, to clarify," Kevin chimes in, "Betty and Archie _aren't_ dating, but they _are_ endgame." Betty sort of waves her hands in the air, like she doesn't know what to say to that.

My sister immediately changes her tune. "You should ask him to the semiformal then." This is a new side of her. She rarely lets other people get in the way of what she wants.

"She should, but I heard it might be getting cancelled, because of what happened to Jason. They're gonna tell us at the assembly," Kevin says, and I appreciate his knack for gossip. Although this news is disturbing, considering a dance is the perfect chance for me 'submit' myself as a candidate for Queen Bee.

"Who's Jason, and what happened to him?" Veronica asks. Kevin and Betty both stop quickly and give each other loaded glances. Veronica looks between them, but I'm not particularly bothered about this 'Jason' character. This town was probably the most boring place on Earth before the Lodges arrived. Nothing too bad could have happened.

* * *

All that I really glean from the assembly is that the dance is still on. I still don't know what happened to 'Jason', and I still don't care. His sister gives an emotional speech in front of the entire school before announcing the news, and I spend most of the time looking at my phone. I've lost five thousand Twitter followers in the past two days, which is something I actually give a shit about. This is just another tragic consequence of my dad's incarceration.

Nobody pays me a lot of mind during classes, which is fairly insulting. They're all too busy gossiping about Jason and about the dance and what-not. I'm going to have to do something big to get their attention, but I'm not quite sure yet what that will be.

Lunch time has Veronica and I confined to school grounds, at our mother's insistence, and with nowhere to sit. Back in New York, we both went off-campus daily, eating lunch at the trendiest restaurants in town. But those days are gone, which this situation is pointedly reminding us. As if we needed another reminder of how far we've fallen from grace.

Suddenly, Veronica latches onto my arm. She pulls me over to a table occupied by Betty, Kevin, and Archie. Tinny music is playing from the speakers of a laptop Archie has open, but he shuts it immediately when we arrive.

"Can we join?" my sister asks, and Betty gives an affirmative answer. Kevin scoots down to make room for us on the bench. I sit down first, because I would actually like to get to know him a little better.

"What are we doing?" Veronica inquires. She's getting desperate to be included, and I'm starting to pity her. Like me, she is a beautiful butterfly stuck in Riverdale's spiderweb. But instead of struggling to get free, like I intend to do, she seems to have accepted her fate.

"Listening to one of Archie's songs," Betty sighs dreamily. She has it so bad. It's almost cute. Almost.

Kevin leans in towards the table. "I thought we were going to have to pretend to like it, but it's actually really good."

"Wait, that was you singing?" Veronica's tone is one of disbelief, and I don't blame her. Who would have thought that this red-headed dunce would actually have some sort of talent?

"It's rough," Archie replies, all modesty.

"No, it's great," Betty insists, her wide-eyed sincerity almost giving me hives. I roll my eyes.

"It's incredible, actually, the little snippet I heard." There goes Veronica, sucking up to a cute boy. She thinks catching them with honey is the way to go. But no matter what anyone tells you, people secretly crave vinegar. "Is that your thing? Music? Are you doing something with that?"

"Yeah, that's the plan." Archie clams up, and I decide to have a little fun. I lean in, like Kevin did earlier, but I place my perfectly-manicured hand on Archie's arm.

"You know something, Archie?" I ask, plastering a coy smile on my face. Betty instantly wrinkles her nose. "I know a few record producers, both in New York and L.A. If you put a demo together, I'm sure they wouldn't mind giving it a listen. You really are quite talented. I could help you go far, if you want." I wink at him.

Betty's jaw clenches. Veronica hits my thigh underneath the table. I smirk, removing my hand and returning to my subpar cafeteria food. Archie clears his throat, blushing slightly.

"So, how's your first day going? Good?" he asks Veronica, who returns to her normal self.

"Not to be a complete narcissist, but I thought people would be more..."

"Obsessed with you?" Kevin asks, craning his head around me. "Any other year, you two would be trending number one, for sure. This year, though, it's all about Cheryl trying to win the Best Supporting Psycho Oscar for her role as Riverdale High's bereaved Red Widow." Kevin obviously has no love for Cheryl and I smile. So Cheryl must be the girl that gave the speech earlier.

Archie suddenly gets up and starts packing his things. "Hey, I should go," he informs us, "I got that that meeting with Grundy, and then football tryouts, so..."

"You play football, too?" Veronica asks in shock as he gets ready to leave, "What don't you do?" How she hadn't gleamed he was an athlete based on his jacket, I honestly can't say. I catch his eye before he leaves, and I bat my eyelashes at him.

He walks away quickly, blushing even more, and Kevin immediately starts in. "Before you ask, Blue Jasmine, no, she has not invited him to the dance yet."

"Not yet, and don't talk about Archie," Betty butts in, practically hissing at the three of us. She seems like she's going to say more, but Cheryl appears out of nowhere with a grin on her face.

"Gwendolyn and Veronica Lodge. I'd heard whisperings. I'm Cheryl Blossom, may I sit?" She doesn't actually wait for an answer before she forces Betty to move down the bench.

"So, what are you four hens gossiping about?" I raise my eyebrow at her. Who says 'hens'? "Archie's Efron-esque emergence from the chrysalis of puberty?" Betty side-eyes her and I fight the urge not to laugh. There is clearly some bad blood between these two.

"Extracurriculars," Veronica says suddenly, probably in response to Betty's small headshake of despair. "Weatherbee wants us to sign up for a few." It isn't a complete lie. The principal _had_ suggested that it would be better for our reputations if we 'make an effort to be active in our school community'.

"Cheerleading!" Cheryl declares, "You must. I'm senior captain of the River Vixens." She does a practically-choreographed move of her hair from one shoulder to the other.

"Is cheerleading still a thing?" Kevin inquires, salt evident in his tone.

"Is being the Gay Best Friend still a thing?" Cheryl snips back. So, bad blood between these two as well. Good to know.

"Some people say it's retro, I say it's eternal and iconic," Cheryl carries on in a dreamy tone.

"At Spence, I sat at the top of the Elites' pyramid," Veronica informs her, and I smile. She'd only sat at the top because I didn't do pyramids. But I guess Cheryl doesn't have to know that. "I'm in. Betty, you're trying out, too."

"Of course!" Cheryl says, her voice oddly high-pitched, "Anyone's welcome to try out, but Betty's already got so much on her plate right now, and being a Vixen is kind of a full-time thing. But...open to all!"

She gracefully stands up from the table, saying to us before she leaves, "Follow me on Twitter and I'll do the same. My handle is cherylbombshell." She leaves us, and I can't help but snicker. How many followers could she even have? Like...a thousand? Riverdale isn't that big, and it's unlikely that anyone outside of this town gives a rat's ass about her life.

"Okay. Go ahead and hate on cheerleading," Veronica says, returning her attention to Betty, "But if Hipster Prince Harry..."

Betty cuts her off. "I'd love to be a cheerleader." The sincerity has returned, and this time it's both adorable and irritating. "It would look great on my college applications. But last year, when I tried out, Cheryl said I was too fat."

"'Too season 5 Betty Draper,'" Kevin adds, something akin to awe in his voice, "It was a great line, but not at all true."

"Well, you're a total smoke show now," Veronica says, and I begrudgingly nod. "I mean it. As hot and as smart as you are, you should be the Queen Bey of this drab hive." I glare daggers at my sister. She should know that I plan to rule this school. How dare she go and give anyone ideas? Even a goody-goody like Betty could preset trouble to my reign, if she felt so inclined. Of course, I could easily take her. But if I'm going to have competition, I'd rather it was a worthy opponent. Someone like Cheryl, who clearly understands the attitude it takes to be on top.

"Look, if you want to be a River Vixen, Gwen and I will help you prep. We have moves." Of course she's volunteering me for this. I don't even like Betty that much. But it would be nice to have a protege other than Veronica, I suppose.

Betty mulls the idea over for a moment before she says, "Okay. You know what? Show me your moves." I can't help but smile. The game is on.

* * *

 **A/N:** _I know Gwendolyn doesn't have a ton of dialogue yet, but she's really just trying to size up Riverdale right now. Soon enough, she'll start speaking up, don't worry._


	3. Chapter 3

Betty and Veronica drag me to cheer tryouts, even though I have no intention of ever being a 'Vixen'. The girls at Spence could barely keep up; there's no way that these backwater bimbos could hope to compare to me. Better to let them keep their second-rate dignity while giving me something to laugh at. But my sister and her new friend are gung-ho about this, so I suppose I can cheer them on.

They're standing in front of Cheryl and her cronies, pompoms in hand and mechanically dishing out a cheer that Betty claims is a Vixen favorite. The girls' performance is stiff, and I'm bored immediately. I survey the other candidates, none of whom were very talented, but at least they were more interesting than this.

I tune back in as Cheryl begins a scathing but accurate commentary of the girls' presentation. "Hmm. Ladies, where's the heat? Where's the sizzle?" The apathy is clear in her voice. It's obvious that she has no intentions of making my little sister or Betty into her next cheerleading robots, and I almost feel bad. Not enough to step in, though.

Veronica looks at Betty and purses her lips before speaking. "Well, you haven't seen our big finish yet." Betty's just standing there like a rag doll as Veronica grabs her, drags her over, and plants one on her. I snort, and it's completely undignified, but I don't really care. That will never work!

Cheryl seems to agree with me. "Check your sell-by date, ladies. Faux lesbian kissing hasn't been taboo since 1994." She's not wrong. I thought Veronica would have better sense than that.

The red-haired captain steamrolls into the interview portion of the tryout, and I watch as she tries to pull out any dark side that Betty Cooper may be hiding. Spoiler alert: it doesn't work. Betty's about as dark as a California afternoon; that is to say, not dark at all.

Veronica quickly comes to her friend's defense once she's let on the team and Betty is voted off the island. "Wait, what? Why? Because you couldn't bully Betty into being a bitch?"

Cheryl sighs. "I need girls with fire on my squad," she states derisively.

"I know what you need, Cheryl, because I know who you are," Veronica retorts, "You would rather people fear than like you, so you traffic in terror and intimidation." She crosses her arms under her chest. "You're rich, so you've never been held accountable.

"But I'm living proof!" she spits, "That certainty - that entitlement you wear on your head like a crown? It won't last. Eventually, there will be a reckoning. Or..." She seems to consider her next thought, but I know my sister like I know myself. She's had most of this speech planned out since lunch.

Veronica steps forward, fire in her eyes, and I know where this is going. It's almost like watching a train wreck - you can't look away. "Maybe that reckoning is now. And maybe, that reckoning is me." The silence in the gym is deafening. "Betty and I come as a matching set. You want one, you take us both. You wanted fire? Sorry, Cheryl Bombshell, my specialty's ice."

Both girls end up making the squad, and it's obvious Cheryl's not happy about the verbal assault that my sister's just handed her on a silver platter. I contain my glee and sit through the rest of the tryouts, even though Veronica stormed off with Betty in tow. A rich girl rivalry is just what Riverdale needs to make it interesting.

After tryouts are over, I pack up my things, intending to make my way outside. I'll have to wait for Veronica to finish playing dress-up with Betty and the other new Vixens before I can call for the car. It's been a long day, and I need a soak to get this hickville feeling off of my skin, so I hope she doesn't take too long.

Cheryl stops me in my tracks, a slick smile on her vibrant red lips and an evil glimmer in her eyes. "Gwendolyn Lodge, we meet again."

I raise my eyebrow at her, not planning on speaking until I know what she wants. I know her type. I am her type.

"Why didn't you try out for the Vixens?" she simpers. "I looked you up earlier. I've seen your competition tapes. You're a star."

I laugh. "Oh, because you would have let me on the team, right? No thanks. I don't feel like butting heads with you for the rest of the year." I'm lying, but she doesn't have to know that yet.

Now it's Cheryl's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Whatever do you mean?" she asks coyly. But I'm having none of her fake pleasantries. I'm already tired of these small-town people and their superiority complexes.

"We're both rich and beautiful, but I have more talent in my little finger than you'll probably ever have in your whole body," I idly explain, watching the faux kindness slide off her face, "I have better things to do than deal with your inferiority complex all the time. You'll have enough trouble from Veronica. No reason for me to get in the mix."

I walk away then, hopefully leaving a stunned Cheryl in my wake. This definitely isn't how I expected my first day at Riverdale High to go, and I'm actually irked by that. Riverdale was supposed to be a predictable quantity in my life, and it's proving to be anything but. How rude.

* * *

Thankfully, Veronica and I don't have to go shopping for semi-formal dresses. There, I said it. I was actually dreading shopping for once. Me, who once shopped for twelve hours straight. But it isn't my fault. Riverdale doesn't exactly have the kind of stores I'm accustomed to. There are a few boutiques scattered around town, but they aren't quality enough to be worth my time.

We'd already bought dresses for the Spence formal months ago, before we knew that we were going to have to uproot our entire lives. Even though these outfits are way more than the people of Riverdale deserve to see, they're what we have, so they're what the school will get.

I'm clad in shades of blue, with an asymmetrical scoop-neck dress, a crystal-decorated blue box clutch, my favorite sapphire-and-diamonds earrings, and the best blue and silver manicure I could get in the area. I throw on a black-and-silver art deco cuff for a little extra bling, and keep my makeup simple (a smokey eye and soft pink lips) to offset the rest of the glam. I top it off with some patent leather Mary Jane pumps and a chic ponytail so I still look a bit relatable to the plebeians in this town.

Veronica and I ride to the dance together, but she abandons me when she catches sight of Archie and Betty waiting outside the gym. She had told me earlier in the day that they were both her dates to the dance, but I honestly hadn't expected her to put these new friends over our sisterly bond. At least they clean up nicely.

They make their way inside, Veronica on one of Archie's arms and Betty on the other. But I choose to wait at least a few minutes before following them in. I will not allow my baby sister to make a bigger entrance than me.

The dance decorations are tacky. There's a balloon arch, streamers on the walls, and posters of who I can only imagine is Jason Blossom hanging from the ceiling beams in several places. Definitely not my scene, but I can't back out now. Riverdale High clearly needs me to step up and take over.

I begin my rounds of the gym, making small talk with some people I recognize from my various classes. A few girls from third period Literature fawn over the real gems in my jewelry, and I smile graciously as I allow them to examine my accessories. I almost forgot how much I love being adored.

As the girls start chattering at me, I watch Archie talk with the music teacher. I don't know her name, but she's pretty enough. Their conversation looks strained and I wonder what that's about. They're probably discussing his songs, but why does she look like she wants to throw up? An investigation of that might be worth my time.

The crowd goes suddenly silent, and I watch as Cheryls ascend the stage where a band waits behind her to play. I'll admit, she looks hot in her tight red off-the-shoulder dress. It's definitely pricey, and it hugs in her just the right places. I pinch my arm and remind myself that this is the girl who I intend on overthrowing.

"Good evening, friends!" Cheryl says, "Are you all having a good time?" The crowd cheers, but I don't cheer with them. I have no reason to. I am not having a good time.

"As honorary chairperson and _de facto_ queen of tonight's semiformal," I let out a small snort, "it is my great pleasure to introduce this evening's main entertainment. To know them it to be obsessed with them. Though they usually perform their own material, tonight they're making an exception and debuting a cover of the song my parents claim they were listening to the night Jason and I were conceived."

Cheryl pauses for only a millisecond, but I catch it, even if no one else does. "This one's for you, JJ." It's clear to me that she's not handling this as well as she'd like everyone to think she is. "I give you Josie and the Pussycats."

The band turns around. It's three girls, and they break out into a cover of Cyndi Lauper's "All Through The Night". It's not bad. These girls are actually fairly talented. Who would have thought?

A boy asks me to dance, but I turn him down with a gracious "No, thank you." I'm still not sure who the alpha males of Riverdale High are. I assume they're the boys of the football team, but I haven't actually met them yet. We didn't have football at Spence, obviously, so I'm not entirely sure what a football boy looks like. Another thing for me to investigate.

I grow fairly tired of the dance early enough and decide to call it an evening. However, before I can make it outside, a bright-eyed blonde girl approaches me with a kind smile plastered on her face. "You're Gwendolyn Lodge, right?" she chirps. I smile back, although mine is much less genuine.

"Yes, and you are?"

"Penelope Glenn," she replies cheerfully, "I'm one of the River Vixens. Cheryl sent me over to invite you to the after-party."

I raise my eyebrow. There's an after-party? Maybe the people of Riverdale aren't quite the sticks in the mud I thought they were.

"It's going to be at Thornhill, if that helps!" Penelope says, and at my confused look, she adds, "That's the name of the Blossom house. It's beautiful. A little spooky, but mostly beautiful."

"I suppose I can grace Cheryl with my presence," I muse, "Tell her I'll be there." Penelope nods happily and then practically skips away. I guess my night's just beginning.

* * *

Veronica and Betty ride to the party with me. Archie takes his own car, and he'd offered to take either of the girls, but they'd quickly turned him down. I thought it suspicious at first, until they start breaking down some conversation between Betty and Archie once we get in the car.

"So he didn't say anything?" Veronica asks, wide-eyed.

"No! I just stood there looking like a complete idiot," Betty groans, shoving her face into her hands. I have to admit that I'm interested, so I peer around my sister's head and look at the blonde girl that looks like she's in serious pain.

"What are you talking about?" I inquire. Betty says nothing, so Veronica has to fill me in.

"Betty told Archie that she thinks they should be a power couple, and he didn't give her an answer," she explains. I cluck my tongue.

"Poor Betty. Maybe you should cozy up to him at the party," I say lazily as I pull out my phone, "Boys aren't exactly the brightest bulbs. He probably needs time to process."

Betty lets out a disgruntled moan, never removing her head from her hands, and we let the topic drop for now.

* * *

A bunch of us are sitting in a circle in one of the many Blossom living rooms when Cheryl saunters over, a wicked grin on her face.

"It's game time at Chez Blossom, kiddies. We're going old-school tonight." She brandishes an empty bottle at us. "Seven Minutes in Heaven. Who wants a tryst in the Closet of Love first?" She looks around, as if she's considering her options, but I feel like she already has a plan. She's that type of girl. "My vote is 'A' for Archie. Anyone care to second it?"

Archie tries to protest, but another guy yells over him, and it's decided. "All right. Gather 'round, kids. Let's see who's riding the ginger stallion tonight."

Cheryl places the bottle on the coffee table and gives it a quick spin. It goes around and around, and I feel a girl next to me let out a little gasp of hope as it starts to slow. But it ends up pointing right between Betty and Veronica, and Cheryl's grin grows.

"It's clearly pointing to...the new girl. This should be fun."

"Um...I'm not doing this," Veronica declares. Cheryl pretends to pout.

"That's up to you. But, if you don't, house rules decree the hostess gets to take your turn." Her grin is positively wicked. Betty and Veronica look at each other before Veronica stands up and tugs Archie away.

Betty looks devastated, and I feel bad for her. I'd be worried too if the boy I liked was stuck in a closet with Veronica for seven minutes. She's beautiful, and we Lodge women are pretty irresistible. Archie's going to have a hard time if he plans on keeping his hands to himself.

While we wait for them to return, Penelope comes over to sit with me. We chat about the math class we realize we share, and I'm having a pretty decent time. Then the boy that encouraged Archie earlier leans over the coffee table and grins salaciously at us.

"Pen and Gwen...two beautiful girls...how do you two feel about sharing?" he asks. Penelope tilts her head in confusion, but I know exactly what he's asking for. I glare at him, and when that doesn't get him to leave us alone, I stand up and walk away, Penelope right on my heels. We head to a room closer to the front door, and we end up chatting with some of the other Vixens. They seem nice enough, and I'm almost kicking myself for not trying out.

As I consider this, I hear the front door slam. I pull back a curtain and watch Betty sprint away from the house, clearly in distress. I guess she couldn't handle waiting for Veronica and Archie to come out. Poor girl.

A few minutes later, Veronica comes racing toward me, a frantic look on her face. "Gwen! Have you seen Betty?"

"She ran away," I tell her, "Sprinted out the front door like a bat out of hell. Did you and Archie kiss?"

She glares at me. "That's not important! You need to help me look for her!"

I shrug, the very definition of nonchalant. "No thanks. I'd rather stay here. You can take the car, though. I'll get a ride with someone."

Grumbling, Veronica stomps off and I turn back to the Vixens. "Now, where were we?"

* * *

 **A/N:** _New chapter! Episode 1 is finally done! Hope you guys enjoyed. I'll try to not take as long to get the next chapter up._


	4. Chapter 4

Jason Blossom was shot. That's the news I wake up to the night after the dance and the after-party, a little hungover and a lot exhausted. Kevin found the body down by the river last night with a hole in its head, and the news spreads about town as quickly as you would expect. (I absentmindedly wonder what Kevin was doing down there, but maybe that's just something that people in Riverdale do. Maybe that's the prime hookup spot.) Veronica and Mother go down to the river to watch them pull the body out, but I choose to stay home. I didn't know the guy, and although it's tragic what happened to him, me showing up like I have any claim to any part of his life seems like a terrible thing to do.

Instead I text Penelope and ask her to meet up at Pop's. When I get to the diner, she's already claimed a booth and has a milkshake in front of her, condensation dripping on the formica tabletop. "I'm guessing you heard the news?" I ask her after ordering a peanut butter-chocolate shake at the front counter. Usually I try to avoid these kind of calories as much as possible, but this is something of a special occasion, I suppose.

"Who hasn't?" Penelope replies, absentmindedly twirling her straw in her thick drink, "Cheryl sent a mass text to the Vixens as soon as they found the body. She's destroyed, of course."

"Of course," I murmur. I don't know what to say. Penelope had probably known Jason, seeing as this town is probably a fifth of the size of New York's smallest borough. Plus she's a Vixen, and apparently Jason Blossom had been a football hotshot. Their acquaintanceship would practically be a rule. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Penelope's lip quivers a bit but she somehow pushes through it. "I mean, we all already thought he'd drowned. So we haven't really lost him, not again. He was already gone." She's being surprisingly flippant about this, but I decide to roll with it. She has to grieve in her own way.

"So what do you want to do today?" I inquire eventually, after a long silence filled with milkshake slurps and cellphone taps. Penelope looks up at me, her grey-blue eyes twinkling merrily, and I think that this odd blonde girl is going to be one of my best friends here.

* * *

School on Monday starts as a quiet affair. Everyone is understandably shaken. I consider talking to Archie when I see him standing at his locker in the morning, if only because he's the only person I know in the vicinity. And maybe everyone could use a distraction like me flirting with him and him getting flustered. But then a black-haired boy in a tragic beanie sidles up to the football player, and I decide against my original plan. Veronica had scurried away as soon as we'd arrived, so unlike a Lodge, leaving me tragically on my own.

The boy that propositioned me at the party enters the hallway with a goon posse behind him. He's not bad-looking, I decide, even if he is a little too much of a meathead for my taste. But he seems popular enough, and a little popularity could go a long way right now. So I strut up to him, making sure to swing my hips in my black Roland Mouret pencil skirt. It does amazing things for my curves, and I'm glad I picked today to wear it.

"Hey there," I say when I reach the boys. They're leaning against some lockers, chuckling about something ridiculous, I imagine. They immediately look me up and down, predatory grins sliding onto their faces. Glad to know I haven't lost my touch.

"Hello, beautiful." The main meathead waves his friends away impatiently, winking at me as he does so. I put up with it because I'm bored and in need of attention.

"I don't think we were properly introduced on Saturday," I say, biting my lower lip, "I'm Gwendolyn."

"Reggie. Reggie Mantle." He leans towards me a bit. I place my free hand on his admittedly-toned bicep, squeezing lightly. He smirks.

"Well, it is a pleasure to meet you," I tell him as I allow a wicked smile to dance across my red lips. "It's such a tragedy that we didn't get much of a chance to talk this weekend. I'm just _so_ interested in getting to know you."

Reggie's forehead wrinkles and he frowns a little. "If I remember correctly, babe, you didn't seem so interested at Chez Blossom."

I lean in, standing on my tiptoes so I can whisper in his ear. "That's because I don't share," I say, blowing on the shell of his ear. He shivers a little, and now I'm the one smirking. "I'd like to think I'm more than enough," I add as I return to flat feet - well, as flat as they can be in Louboutins.

Reggie opens his mouth to reply, but before he can, Penelope sweeps in and clutches onto my arm. "Hi, Reggie," she greets him sweetly before turning to me with wide eyes. "Gwen, can I talk to you?" I sigh but nod. She drags me away, but not before Reggie motions silently for me to call him. I laugh under my breath. There's no way that's going to happen, since I don't even have his number.

"What's up, P?" I ask as she drags me into the girls' bathroom. There are some freshmen inside that are trying to perfect their cat eye (they are doing terribly and should probably give up until they hit actual puberty), but Penelope shoos them out with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"I have some life-changing news!" she says, almost squealing. Her eyes are twinkling like they did this weekend, before we embarked on quite the party bender that I thought she'd still be recovering from. I guess she can keep up with me, after all. I don't say anything, allowing one of my perfectly-shaped eyebrows to raise and do the talking instead.

She grabs my hands, squeezes them, and then announces, "You got a spot on the River Vixens!" She starts jumping up and down, eventually stopping when she realizes that I'm not excited. "Why aren't you freaking out?"

"P, I didn't even try out. And I trashed Cheryl to her face." I can feel my forehead crinkling but I can't help it. "What the hell's going on?"

Penelope's face turns somber. "Ginger overheard one of the new sophomores saying that Jason deserved to die for being such an asshole, and immediately reported it to Cheryl. Now she's off the team and you're in."

I mull it over for a minute. I wasn't planning on joining the Vixens, but maybe it wouldn't be such a terrible idea. Relying on a boy for my popularity was never my favorite plan, and now I might not have to. Besides, I don't really mind the idea of getting to watch Cheryl work out in a cheerleading skirt, loathe as I am to admit it.

"Fine," I eventually sigh, "Run off and tell Cheryl Bombshell that I'm in." Now Penelope squeals, throwing herself at me and squeezing tightly. She's adorable like a puppy, and I'm glad we've managed to already become close.

"You won't regret this!" she shouts behind her as she sprints away. Meanwhile, I grip the bridge of my nose. I'm already regretting it.

* * *

I don't see my sister until lunch, and she doesn't even acknowledge me at first. I'm sitting across the table with Archie. He's working on a song, guitar in his lap, and I'm sitting next to him, pouring over my worn copy of Emma, also known as my favorite book. (Emma Woodhouse is an icon.) Veronica approaches with Kevin and Betty, and everyone is a little tense. It could be because of Kevin's accidental mention of Saturday's closet incident, but I think Jason's death has even this little group rattled.

Veronica sits down across from me, giving me a quick smile before turning her attention back to her new friends. "Archie," she asks, "Any new material you want to try out on a very forgiving audience?" I roll my eyes and turn back to my book. This is going to be one of those days where Veronica tries way too hard, and I don't want anything to do with it. I'm not the one who kissed my new friend's almost-boyfriend.

My interest is piqued when Archie asks Betty if she's okay, and I look up to see her almost in tears. She gives something of a sassy answer (I'm almost impressed) before running off. Archie follows after her, not even taking the time to put his guitar in its case, and I watch Veronica watch him. I know my sister, and I can tell she's feeling something for him. I feel bad for her but she also got herself into this. So I return to my book once more.

* * *

At River Vixens practice after school, Cheryl already has us learning a routine. She puts Veronica in the center of it all, and I am cast off to the side to shake my butt like a simpleton. I'm not pleased, not at all. I taught Veronica everything she knows, for fuck's sake. But I suppose Cheryl's feeling threatened by me.

We've only just started our first full run-through of the routine when Cheryl stops us. She starts monologuing about how we're disappointing her and how the town's eyes are on her right now, and I roll my eyes, something I've been doing a lot since moving to this one-salon town. She then says something about needing the Pussycats, and we're given our first break of the practice. Veronica immediately makes a beeline for Betty, while I fall in with Penelope and a few other girls.

"Cheryl's off her rocker," one of the girls whispers, after darting glances around the room to make sure the redhead isn't lurking. "We only just learned this routine."

"My dad says all the Blossoms are crazy," another girl adds, "That's why they're all secluded up at Thornhill. He says they lock up the crazier members of the family in the basement, and no one's ever allowed over because the inmates scream at all hours."

I idly examine my nails as I speak up. "First of all, we were all just at the Blossom house this weekend, and I didn't hear any screaming. Did you?" I assume they shake their heads, but I don't care enough to give them my full attention. "And I wouldn't be surprised if Cheryl's 'off her rocker' as you said. Her brother's died twice in the past few months. Maybe you need to grow a heart." I walk away before they can say anything else, the squeak of Penelope's sneakers trailing behind me.

"That was really nice of you," she tells me as we perch on a low row of the bleachers. I pull out my phone from my backpack, checking my notifications and not allowing any expression onto my face.

"It wasn't nice, it was just the only thing to do," I respond. "Those girls are despicable."

"I'll let you in on a little secret," Penelope says, moving towards me. Her breath ghosts over my neck but I don't allow myself to jolt. I am calm and collected at all times. "Most people in this town are just as bad. At least Cheryl's honest about it."

Cheryl comes back in at that moment, immediately heading towards my sister and Betty, who are clearly arguing. They're getting loud enough that I can hear them from where Penelope and I sit. I groan as I realize they're fighting over Archie still. What is it about him that apparently makes rational girls go crazy?

The red-headed girl locks hands with Betty, and the two walk away, all smiles. Something settles in my stomach like a boulder, and I find myself frowning. I'm not sure what that's about but I push it away. My sister is clearly upset and I suppose I should go comfort her. I stand up, ask Penelope to give me a minute, and head towards where Veronica stands almost in the center of the gym.

"You okay, Ron?" I ask, using a nickname that generally makes her laugh. I gingerly place my hand on her arm, silently willing her to open up. But instead she shakes me off and glares at me with poisoned daggers in her eyes.

"Butt out," she snarls before stomping away to join some other Vixens. I'll let her be, for now. She can't get away from me that easily.

* * *

After practice, the driver takes Veronica and I to Pop's. Mother is a waitress there now, and neither of us girls is feeling too inclined to be at home together right now. We perch on bar-stools at the counter, Veronica with a milkshake and me with a cup of coffee. (I'm going to need the caffeine to deal with her attitude.) Veronica tries her best to keep Mother company while I choose to continue reading my book.

"You're doing great, Mom," Veronica says at one point, trying to cheer Mother up as she approaches us, "Better than me this week."

"That's not hard," I say under my breath, not looking up from my book. I can feel my sister's gaze on me, and I'm sure she's thinking some not-so-fuzzy thoughts in my direction.

"Yeah, we're surviving, Ronnie, by our wits," Mother replies, "Because that's what we Lodge women do." She sighs. "If Dad could see us now."

Veronica stands up and approaches Mother, who I can see is wiping glasses by the cash register. "He'd say you look stunning in that new uniform," she informs Mother.

"Except he hates the color yellow," I mutter. This time, Veronica doesn't hear me. Or maybe she does, and she's decided that the best way to live is to completely ignore me.

"I'm going for this Joan Crawford, Mildred Pierce thing," Mother informs her youngest, "Is it working?"

"Definitely," Veronica responds around a small chuckle. I sigh and snap my book shut, standing to join my family.

"I'm going to go outside. There's so much grease in here, I'm getting zits just by breathing in the air," I say. I head towards the door at the same time that it jangles open merrily. (I've grown to hate the sound of that bell over the course of the afternoon.) I stop just inches from running into a perplexed-looking Archie.

"Hello, Archie darling," I purr, because why not? I have nothing better going on, and I really do enjoy how pink he gets when I talk to him. It's one of the few bright spots of this town.

"Oh, um...hi Gwendolyn," he says, scratching at his neck, "I'm just...here to pick up some food."

I sigh again, this time pretending to be wistful. "Of course you are." I wink at him. "Let me know when you want to give the prettier Lodge sister a go." I make sure to sway my hips as I leave. I hope he sees.

I only stay outside long enough for Archie to get his food and leave with Veronica in tow. Then I sneak back inside and startle Mother. "You know this town's already gotten its mud-stained fingers into her?" I say, retaking my bar stool and opening my book again. There's nothing else to entertain me here, and I don't want to go back to the apartment quite yet. If I have to walk in on Archie and Veronica making out, which seems possible, I might vomit.

Mother doesn't say anything in response, hurrying back to her tables instead. But as she goes, I can see the worry that's etching itself into her face. It's obvious she's not feeling as comfortable being back in Riverdale as she lets on. And I can't decide how that makes me feel.

* * *

 **A/N:** _Finally a new chapter! Sorry it's been like over six months since I updated! I really have no excuse. But at least I haven't given up on this fic?_

 _Chapter dedicated to **dubonet** on tumblr because she's the biggest sponsor of all my writing endeavors ever._


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